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long-neck giant
Pitekunsaurus
Say it like this: “PEE-tuh-koon-SOR-us”
Pitekunsaurus macayai
Pitekunsaurus ate plants and walked on four legs. It lived in the Late Cretaceous. Bones have been found in Argentina.
- When
- Late Cretaceous (Campanian) · roughly 83.6 to 72.2 million years ago
- Named in
- 2008 · Filippi, L. S.; Garrido, A. C.
- Hip height
- Not established
- Length
- 12 m · 39 ft
- Weight
- Not established
- Found in
- Argentina · Anacleto
- Food and walking
- Herbivore · Four legs
- Kind
- long-neck giant · Sauropod
- Family branch
- Colossosauria
The story in short
The genus Pitekunsaurus dates to 2008, the year L. S. Filippi and A. C. Garrido described it. The name means “discovery lizard.”
It lived in the Late Cretaceous (Campanian), roughly 83.6 to 72.2 million years ago. Finds come from Argentina, including the Anacleto Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on four legs.
Published estimates put Pitekunsaurus at a length near 12 m.
On the family tree it sits in Colossosauria, among the sauropod dinosaurs.
Close relatives
Austroposeidon
Austroposeidon magnificus
Late Cretaceous (Campanian · Maastrichtian) · roughly 83.6 to 66 million years ago
Bonitasaura
Bonitasaura salgadoi
Late Cretaceous (Santonian) · roughly 85.7 to 83.6 million years ago
Chucarosaurus
Chucarosaurus diripienda
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian · Turonian) · roughly 100.5 to 89.8 million years ago